Environmental Reviews

Environmental reviews are a critical element in FAA's efforts to manage airspace capacity and change aircraft routing while ensuring that environmental impacts, enhancements, and protection considerations are fully and properly analyzed. We provide environmental reviews for all of FAA's airspace redesign and procedure development projects concerning air space use and air traffic.

All environmental reviews of air traffic projects are conducted under the guidelines and regulations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related statutory and regulatory environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act and National Historic Preservation Act, as well as internal FAA environmental regulations:

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Airspace Redesign Environmental Reviews

Metroplex Environmental Reviews

The goal of Metroplex is to ensure that, as NextGen is developed, procedures and resources are in place to ensure safe, expeditious, and cost effective methods of moving aircraft.

CLT Metroplex EA

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Record of Decision (ROD) and Agency Concurrence Letters, Public Comment Letters and Responses to Comments, and Environmental Assessment Errata (PDF, 14.9 MB) (June, 2015)

Draft EA Main Document — Volume I

Appendices to the Draft EA — Volume II

Technical Reports

Written comments on the Draft EA were accepted by FAA until February 2, 2015. The public comment period is now closed.

North Texas Metroplex EA

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Record of Decision (ROD) and Agency Concurrence Letters, Public Comment Letters and Responses to Comments, and Environmental Assessment Errata (PDF, 32.2 MB) (June, 2014)

Attachment A (PDF)

Attachment B (PDF)

Draft EA Main Document — Volume I

Appendices — Volume II

Technical Reports

The comment period is now closed. Please see EA Process Timeline for more information.

DC Metroplex EA

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Record of Decision (ROD) and Agency Concurrence Letters, Public Comment Letters and Responses to Comments, and Environmental Assessment Errata (PDF, 34 MB) (December, 2013)

Draft EA Main Document

Appendices

Technical Reports

The public comment period for the Environmental Assessment closed on July 20, 2013.

Houston Metroplex EA

Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision (FONSI-ROD) dated June 13, 2013, Concurrence Letters, Comments Received, and Response to Comments, and Errata Sheet (PDF)

Environmental Assessment for Houston Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex — January 2013 (PDF, 36.5 MB)

The public comment period for the Environmental Assessment closed on February 19, 2013.

Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Environmental Reviews

PBN provides a basis for the design and implementation of automated flight paths as well as for airspace design and obstacle clearance. The two main components of PBN framework are Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP).

Last updated: Thursday, May 4, 2023